Page 69 of Daring in a Blue Dress
“I didn’t think a stone building could burn like that,” I said in an undertone to Fenice, who stood huddled with Lisa, Vandal, and Alec (the last of whom had arrived once he heard about the fire).
“The stone was only on the outside, I guess,” Fenice said, casting a worried look at the outbuildings nearthe garden. “I feel terrible for Alden. What’s he going to do?”
“I have no idea.” I rubbed my arms against the chill of the early morning air. What should have been a crisp, clean morning had turned into one filled with the scent of smoke, small bits of ash drifting to the ground, and a profound sense of sadness at watching such a historic building be destroyed.
“I’d better go check on the gear to make sure none of the water the firemen are using is getting inside our buildings.” Fenice patted me on the arm. “Give Alden our sympathy, will you? I can’t imagine how devastated he’s feeling right now.”
“He is, but he’s also grateful that no one was hurt.” I shook my head, marveling at how things had turned out. “At the time, I thought he was way off base kicking everyone out of the house, but now I’m intensely thankful he did.”
“Likewise,” she said, giving me another pat before hurrying off to remind the firemen that the buildings nearest the garden were being used.
While Fenice and I had been talking, Lisa had moved over to where Alden stood, leaning in close to him while she spoke. He didn’t react to her, or what she was saying, so I gathered he was so stunned by the fire that he simply could not cope with her.
One look at his face as I approached told me I was correct.
“—know it’s hard to find the good in something bad, but really, there issomegood to this. You’re insured, naturally, which means you’ll get justoodlesof money. Enough to let you buy a house somewhere else. Maybe even another historic house, one you could do little fixesto, you know? Just so you have the satisfaction of making it yourown.”
I ignored Lisa and wrapped my arms around Alden, kissing the side of his neck before saying into his ear, “It’s going to be all right, my dumpling.”
His arms tightened around me, his gaze never leaving the shifting pattern of light and smoke as the fire consumed the guts of the house, leaving only a broken, blackened shell. We were far enough back that we had escaped the heat of the flames, but the roar of the fire as it consumed the house was soul-shattering.
“I was just telling Alden that things are not as black as they seem. There are so many things he can do with the insurance money—” Lisa would have continued, but I cut her off with one venomous glance.
“This isn’t about the insurance money,” I told her. “It’s about a lovely old house being destroyed, something that you don’t seem to care about.”
“Of course I care,” she said, exasperation evident in her voice. “I care a great deal. This was Lady Sybilla’s home, if nothing else, and she is devastated, absolutely devastated! But as my mama always told me, there’s no use in crying over spilt kitty litter. You just have to clean it up and move on.”
“Oh... go away,” I said, too tired to worry that I was being rude. I tightened my arms around Alden, and breathed in his scent, but it was barely discernible over the smoke.
“There’s no need to be rude, Mercedes Starling,” she said with an exaggerated sniff. “I’m sure Alden understands what I’m saying. Oh dear, there’s Lady Sybilla. I thought Adams was going to keep her in the lodge.”
Alden said nothing during the conversation, justrested his chin on my shoulder, his arms warm and solid around me, and continued to watch the fire.
“Alden?” I whispered near his ear. “Did you have insurance on the house?”
“No.” His voice was flat and emotionless. “I was waiting for the last of my trust money to be released.”
I sighed, and wanted badly to be anywhere but at that spot at that moment. “I kind of figured that must be the case. What do you want me to do?”
At last he glanced away from the fire, a question in his eyes, but one that was tinged with pain. “About what?”
“Your house.”
“I don’t have a house anymore.” His gaze slipped back to the fire. “I have nothing but a bunch of land that is mostly leased out, and the broken remains of my dreams.”
“You have me,” I said softly, stroking my hands up his back. “It turns out you were right, you know.”
“About what?” He looked back to me, and I took the opportunity to move him slightly, so he couldn’t see the fire over my shoulder.
“I am in love with you. I don’t how or why or when that happened, but it did, and now you’re stuck with me, you great big boob, because if you try to dump me, I’m going to be miserable and heartbroken. And you don’t want that on your conscience. You’re too sensitive for that, and I can assure you that the idea that you’d destroyed my one chance at happiness would make you a neurotic mess. More of a neurotic mess than you were when I first met you.”
One side of his mouth twitched. “Are you trying to distract me from the hellish nightmare that is now my life?”
“Yes. Is it working?”
“Yes,” he said, sighing heavily before kissing me. “I’m glad you admit that you love me. Would it make you think less of me if I sat down and cried?”
“Not in the least. Men have just as many emotions as women do—you simply process them a bit differently. Let’s go find somewhere private where you can cry to your heart’s content, and I will hold you and tell you it’ll be all right and that we’ll get through this, and then afterward I will tie your hands to a bed frame and have my way with you in such a manner that you’ll forget about this horrible day for at least a little bit.”
